


Looking Up

by ElectricEuphonium



Category: Monsters Inc (2001), Monsters University (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullies, Cuties, M/M, Mean Letters, Nerd Randall, Popularity, Slurs, Strong Language, Sulley is a cool kid, randall is a nerd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 18:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2079219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricEuphonium/pseuds/ElectricEuphonium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU. Sulley is the cool kid in school that Randall is hopelessly infatuated with, and is mocked and bullied relentlessly for it. Fortunately, Sulley finds out and wants to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking Up

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt:
> 
> "Imagine your OTP going to the same high school. Person A is seen as a loser and has a huge, obvious crush on the most popular person in school—Person B. The rest of the school mocks Person A because of their crush, but after finding out about it, Person B offers to pretend-date A in order to shut the bullies up. After pretend-dating, though, Person B develops actual feelings for Person A."

~

"Hey! Hey, Randy, wait up!"

Randall Boggs could barely keep from disappearing at hearing that voice. He was almost to his locker, so he simply sped up a bit. When he got there, he turned to face the direction the call had come from, pushing up his glasses as well.

James P. Sullivan walked through the crowd that was leaving school for the day with his letterman jacket and bright smile on, giving high-fives and fistbumps to students who requested it along the way. He wasn't just James P. Sullivan, of course, because he was not only one of the most popular kids in school, but also the current object of Randall's infatuation. This was a fact that basically the entire school was aware of, as it was painfully obvious. He left cupcakes addressed to Sulley on Valentine's Day, from "Your Secret Admirer"(in what was clearly Randall's handwriting), got all blushy and stuttery around him, and generally looked at him a lot, a huge blush crossing his face when called out on it.

Sulley arrived at Randall's locker, and leaned against one of the adjoining ones, a gentle smile on his face. However, Randall (despite the blush on his face) didn't look too happy. He looked away a bit as he muttered, "You know, usually when people want to beat me up or things like that, they wait until we're outside. Cameras and all that stuff...you get it, right?"

"Randy, I'm not here to hurt you." There was a look of disbelief on his expression: He was surprised that Randall had just assumed that there was a beating coming. "No, look, it's just...are people...making fun of you? Because of me?"

Randall shrugged off the question immediately. "Course not."

He put in his combination and pulled on the handle of the light blue locker. Right as he did that, an envelope fell from it and glided to the floor. Randall tried to grab for it, but Sulley picked it up from the linoleum quicker than he did. He turned it to the front as the lizard sighed.

_TO: FAG_

The blue monster started to open it as Randall spoke in a panicked tone. "Jeez, look, Sulley, it's nothing...! I deal with this kind of stuff all the time."

_You know, maybe if you weren't such a faggot-ass little bitch, Sulley wouldn't hate you. I bet he knows about your gross little homo shit you got goin on for him, and it makes him hate you. Do us all a favor and go fuckin die of AIDS, fag._

At Sulley's wide-eyed expression, Randall looked away while noting, "Eventually you just...grow thicker skin. That's all there is to it, I guess."

"You shouldn't have to, Randy. This isn't right." Randall crossed both sets of arms. "Why are you even talking to me? I'm nobody. I assumed you wouldn't even want to look at me, what with the huge crush thing and all."

He grimaced and noted, "That's one of the things the letter mentioned."

He continued, "The thing is, Randy, I feel really bad about all of this. People shouldn't be this harsh or mean. Really, they shouldn't make fun of you in the first place. I didn't know about it, but they're being awful to you, so..."

Sulley scratched the back of his head and looked a bit nervous, which threw Randall off a bit. "Uhh...What is it...?"

"It's just...I could...oh, boy." He chuckled, then managed to finish his sentence with, "I could pretend to go out with you...if you want. Just to shut 'em up, you know?"

Randall's heart fluttered intensely before the logical side of his mind reminded him of the word "pretend". The lizard managed to calm down before he got too overexcited, but his heart was still beating fast and his blush got even deeper. He managed to choke out, "I...I think maybe that would be okay..."

"Alright, so, I'll message you on Screampage?"

"Oh, uh, yeah! One sec," he muttered, grabbing a piece of paper from his locker. He picked up a pen and scribbled his username on it, then handed it to Sulley. "Just make sure you get the spelling right."

He stared at the piece of paper for a second before clicking his tongue. "Well. I had better get going, so..."

"See you, Sulley." The blue monster smiled again, and it was so warm Randall almost melted, and the next words he said didn't help.

"Hey, if we're 'dating,' call me James."

~

_Now entering a chat with RadicalRandyB._

_Sullster17: nice name_

_RadicalRandyB: I know, huh. Right from the mind of 13-year-old me._

_Sullster17: so I was thinkin that we should probably try to look public with it_

_RadicalRandyB: With the fake dating thing or the fact that it -is- faked?_

_Sullster17: yes, Randall, we should tell everyone that we're not really not dating_

_RadicalRandyB: Ok, dumb question. We should be simple. Hand-holding, puppy-dog eyes to each other. Stuff like that. Wait, first of all, are you like, actually gay?_

_Sullster17: ...well, I'm bi but yeah, on a want to know basis_

_RadicalRandyB: So you're bi, and if someone were curious about that you would tell them?_

_Sullster17: yup_

_RadicalRandyB: Geez. I wish I had your confidence. I just sort of try to keep to myself. My dad walked out when he found out._

_Sullster17: ...wow. that's awful, Ran._

_RadicalRandyB: Whatever. He was an asshole, anyway._

_Sullster17: lol_

_RadicalRandyB: So should we meet up in the lobby tomorrow morning?_

_Sullster17: sounds like a plan_

_RadicalRandyB: Okay. See you tomorrow._

_Sullster17: see ya, baabe ;)_

_RadicalRandyB: Ooh. Don't say things like that. Does things to my fronds that I can't control._

_Sullster17: xD_

They both logged off with smiles on their faces, actually looking forward to the next day, albeit for different reasons: Sulley was excited to help out Randall, and the lizard went to bed with an itch in his palm that would only be cured by a little Sullivan hand-holding.

~

Honestly, it was really natural, even right from the get-go.

There were, of course, _tons_ of students staring unabashedly, because it honestly was kind of shocking, but Randall and Sulley managed to ignore that and hit it off incredibly well. The lizard was walking with his top pair of arms wrapped around Sullivan's, and leaned against him as they walked down the hallway to Randall's locker. They got there as they were wrapping up a conversation about History, which was something Sulley had a little of a hard time with when it wasn't scaring-related.

"So the gist of it is that Slimania wanted to get more land from the U.S.M., but we weren't having that, so we just fought them with the outcome determining if we would let them buy our property. We won, and then made them sign a treaty that said they wouldn't try to get land from is again, because obviously we need to be big."

"Well, _Professor_ , this has been a very interesting lecture," he chuckled.

"Thank you. I try. You know, I actually...oh."

They had arrived at Randall's locker. On the faded blue scribbled in various different markers were expletives like "fag," "fucking homo," "cock-loving slut," and others, some carved in. Sulley glanced down to Randall, who's expression was more neutral than anything else.

"Well. That's a bit more...damaging of my property than usual."

"Why do you put up with this?" Randall started, but he interrupted, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, you've got thick skin, it doesn't bother you, but..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "It's just awful."

Randall sighed and wrapped his arms around Sulley tightly. "Uh, Randy, why are you-" he began to question, but the lizard shushed him and whispered to him firmly, "We're supposed to be dating, remember?"

Raising his voice to normal levels, he muttered, "As long as we're together, I'll be able to handle it." He made sure that some people nearby heard, at least slightly, and winked at Sulley. He blushed under his fur and hoped Randall didn't notice, mostly because then he would ask why he was so warm, and Sulley wouldn't be able to explain-he didn't know himself.

~

By Thursday, news had spread throughout the entire school. There were some girls who had said they were cute together (sending a searing blush to Randall's face), but they hadn't really had any incidents until that day.

Randall was at his locker, undoing it with his top set of arms (as his bottom left hand was clasped in Sulley's) when Randall heard footsteps coming from behind. He turned around to see just who it was and met with the faces of some of the people that he always saw around Sulley, and three of them. He whispered to him, "Friends of yours?"

"More like acquaintances," he remarked, throwing a troubled glance to them. The one who appeared to be the leader had green skin and brown polka-dots. He was on the same team as Sulley in a brief baseball stint, within which he played for about a month before deciding it wasn't for him. He didn't eve have time to learn most of his teammates' names, including his.

"Sulley, man, what're you doin with this fuckin bitch?"

He asked this with a sneer that Sulley was all too eager to wipe off his face. "I'm dating him. That's why I'm here."

The monster in from of him pulled a bit of a disgusted face before sighing. "Didn't think you were a fag, man."

"You wrote that letter. You marked up Randall's locker."

"Yeah, maybe I did. Doesn't fuckin' matter. The little bitch can take it. We've been buggin' him all damn year."

Sulley glanced back to Randall, surprise in his cerulean globes that was met with a roll of the eyes.

"Plus, honestly, Sullivan, you're way too nice. How do we know you're not just fucking fakin' it so everybody'll just leave the little fag alone?"

"Oh, we're dating."

"Really," he snarked.

"Yup."

"Fuckin' prove it then."

Sulley shrugged and turned to Randall, then grabbed his shoulders and leaned down to his face, kissing him right there in front of the three.

~

Throughout all of this Randall was keeping a calm composure; he was used to this (it had been going on all year, as he had mentioned). As their conversation got more heated, though, the lizard became incredibly worried that Sulley was actually going to try, something, and when those firm hands went to his shoulders, he started shaking a bit, and was full-out panicking when Sulley was close to his lips.

They locked eyes very briefly, and he tried to communicate with him through the glance they shared.

_What are you doing?!_

_This is fake, remember...?_

_What about your reputation?_

_Plus, if this is happens it'll be my first kiss, and what'll people say about you, and-!_

However, Sulley's eyes were glowing and inviting, without a trace of worry or uncertainty in them, and their lips met. Sulley's were warm, firm, and incredibly soft. It sent shivers down Randall's already trembling back, but he managed to get a hold of himself more and actually push a slight pressure back to Sulley's lips, and it felt...nice. He suddenly remembered that this was his first kiss, and...he liked it. He wanted to keep doing it, and more specifically, he wanted to keep doing it with Sulley. Said blue monster pulled away and, wiping a little bit of saliva from the tips of his lips where Randall must have unconsciously licked, chuckled, "Is that proof enough for ya?"

The leader shook his head in disappointment and motioned for his henchman that they should go. As they walked away, Sulley called after, "Next time you mess with my boyfriend, I'll pound your face so bad, your parents are gonna have to sell their house to pay for the surgery!"

He turned to Randall. "Are you alright?"

The lizard had to chuckle, "Are _you_ alright? You just kind of...kissed me in front of three monsters who could easily spread that around."

"Well, that's fine. We're dating."

Randall laughed. "Sure." He started to walk away, but Sulley grabbed his arm and pulled Randall into his arms. He blushed and tried to struggle while saying, "What are you doing?"

"I mean what I said."

He felt his heartbeat pound, but he was just being ridiculous. Sulley couldn't mean that. Of course, he asked, just to make sure. "Do you mean that you..."

"Of course. I, James P. Sullivan, want to date you, Randall Boggs. For real, this time."

Everything was happening at once. His eyes filled with happy tears, his chest thumped as fast as it ever had, and he was even turning into a bit of a magenta color which he quickly switched back to normal; he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his boyfriend, and _wow_ , Sulley was his _boyfriend_. He wrapped his arms around the monster as tight as he could and never wanted to let go.

"So, how about we head out of here?"

Randall wiped his eyes, peered up at Sulley, and nodded whole-heartedly. "I would love to."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Psuedo PDA](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4255419) by [Mega_Erofan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mega_Erofan/pseuds/Mega_Erofan)




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